Merry Christmas, Michelle Tanner
by writerchic16
Summary: After a confrontation with her classmates, Danny tells Michelle there is no such thing as Santa Claus. When the group goes Christmas shopping at the mall, Michelle sets out on her own to prove that Danny is wrong.
1. Chapter 1

Merry Christmas, Michelle Tanner

A/N: Alright, I've got like two other unfinished stories, but I _had_ to get started on this one. It is going to be a Christmas present for my mom and stepfather (since I have no idea what to get them), so any suggestions of ways to make it better would be greatly appreciated. Oh, and one more thing – I'm not too great about writing view points of children, so at times Michelle might seem either too young or too old. It's set about a year after the season finale, so she's about nine.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the plotline and the way it's worded.

Summary:

After a confrontation with her classmates, Danny tells Michelle there is no such thing as Santa Claus. When the group goes Christmas shopping at the mall, Michelle sets out on her own to prove that Danny is wrong.

Michelle Tanner, now 9-years-old, hummed the tune of "Jingle Bells" as she worked on her letters. She was in her third grade Writing class and was very happy. Today they had finished learning how to write all of the letters of the alphabet in script. _Now I'll be able to write to Santa Claus in cur…curs…whatever this fancy writing is called._

"Hey Tanner, what are you so happy about?" Butch Davidson was the class bully. When Michelle told Stephanie and D.J. about how much he teased her, they always said that he liked her and didn't know how to show it. Michelle really didn't think so.

"I was thinking about how impressed Santa Claus will be when he reads my letter in cursive." She was proud of herself for remembering the name of this handwriting, and of also using the word "impressive". She wasn't exactly sure what "impressive" meant, but her dad always used it when she brought home a good grade or a school project. Which meant it had to be something good.

Butch laughed. "You still believe in that Santa Claus junk?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?

This caused Butch to laugh even harder. He turned to some of the other boys in the class and said, very loudly, "Get a load of this! Michelle Tanner still believes in Santa Claus!"

Then, much of the class started laughing at Michelle and calling her a baby. She felt her cheeks flush, and tears threatened to follow. "Santa IS real! If it's not him, then who puts presents under the tree and eats the milk and cookies?"

"Your _parents_ do. Duh. Oh, sure, I used to believe in Santa too. But then I found out that it was my dad in the big red suit every year, and my mom put the presents under the tree before I woke up."

"You're mean! And a liar!" Tears streamed down her face as she ran out of the room, her classmates' laughter drowning out her sobs. Her vision was so blurry that Michelle didn't even see the teacher until she bumped into her.

"Michelle, what's wrong?" Mrs. Applebaum knelt down so that she was eye to eye with her student. She had only left the room for five minutes to talk with another teacher. What could have possibly happened during that short time?

"N-nothing. Can I p-please go to the b-bathroom?" Michelle could hardly speak –her throat was hoarse from crying. Thankfully, Mrs. Applebaum just nodded, unsure of what else to do. Michelle ran around her and didn't stop running until she was safely inside a stall in the girl's bathroom. There, she cried until one of her best friends. Denise came in five minutes later to get her to come back to class.

­­

"Yes, this is Mr. Tanner. Uh huh. Oh, I see. Thank you for letting me know. I will have a talk with her as soon as she comes home." Danny sighed as he hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" Jesse asked. Joey had begged him to try watching cartoons, so as a result he was now sprawled on the couch watching _Rugrats_. He had to admit – Tommy Pickles had spunk.

"Michelle's teacher. She said that one of the other students teased her about believing in Santa Claus and told her that he doesn't exist. Michelle then ran to the bathroom and wouldn't come out until Denise convinced her to."

Jesse groaned. "I'm sorry, Danny, but you knew it was going to happen eventually. Just be grateful she didn't find out the way I did."

_I'm almost afraid to ask._ However, his curiosity was stronger than his urge to ignore the comment. "And how did you find out?"

"Well, on Christmas Eve, when I was seven, I had gone downstairs late at night to get a drink of water. On my way to the kitchen, I caught a glimpse of Mommy making out with jolly old Saint Nick behind the couch." Jesse grimaced – the memory still gave him nightmares.

Joey chose just that moment to come in through the kitchen door, singing in a loud, low voice as he carried a bowl of popcorn. His song of choice was, of course, "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus." "Then I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus, underneath his beard so snowy white, oh what a laugh it would have been, if Daddy had only seen, Mommy kissing Santa Claus, last nighttttttttt!" As he held the last note, he did a little spin, then plopped down on the couch, popcorn bowl still in hand.

Jesse just stared at him and asked, "How do you do it?"

"Years of practice."

"Well, years of practicing eavesdropping with a glass put up against the door couldn't have hurt." Danny motioned to the empty glass in Joey's other hand. _Ah, well – at least I know where Stephanie gets it._

"Yeah, well, even great comics make mistakes."

"You mean great Looney Toons." Jesse indicated Joey's Flintstone pajamas and Scooby Doo slippers.

"For your information, Scooby-Doo and the Flintstones are _Hanna-Barbara_ cartoons. Duh."

Danny interrupted. "Hey, guys, can we get back to the matter at hand? Michelle's going to come home any minute with a lot of questions, and I don't know what to tell her."

"I think you should tell her that the kid was wrong," Joey answered. "My parents never told me the truth behind Santa Claus, and look how I turned out."

Danny watched in horror as Joey lied back on the couch and crossed his feet on the coffee table. He grabbed a handful of popcorn, and spilled half of it as she crammed it in his mouth. Danny couldn't help noticing that a grown man was in cartoon pajamas while watching a kids show. "I _have_ to tell Michelle."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A/N: Hey! I'm glad everyone liked the first chapter. By the way, I am changing Michelle's age to 7 (and her grade to 2nd…but that part doesn't really matter). After looking over the first part, I realized that I can't write 8-11-year-olds and am much better at younger kids' POVs. Besides, it's way more fun to write about little kids and this story would make more sense if Michelle were younger. If this causes anyone confusion I am sorry.

Disclaimer: I forgot to mention a few things last chapter. Obviously, any songs mentioned in that chapter (and in any future chapters) are not mine and belong to their respective writers. And, you know, I don't own Full House or any other show/thing you recognize..

For the next hour, Danny sat on the easy chair, thinking. The phrase, "I have to tell Michelle" wouldn't get out of his head. What he hadn't realized at the time he said it was how daunting the task actually was. Honestly, he had no idea how he was going to explain it to Michelle. When he had woken up this morning, he hadn't expected to have to add, "Break youngest daughter's heart" to his to-do list.

Speaking of which, that was another thing that had been bothering him lately. Michelle was now _seven_. It seemed like just yesterday that he, or Jesse or Joey, were changing her diapers, somewhat comically. He just couldn't picture his little girl growing up. Yet, here it was – by not believing in Santa Claus, part of her childhood would be lost. How long would it be before all parts will have disappeared?

"Danny, what's the matter? You've been sitting there staring into space for a long time." Joey commented. He had changed out of his cartoon pajamas into jeans and a sweater after their earlier conversation, and he had come back to reclaim his spot on the couch, next to which Jesse still sat. They had often laughed or said something about the cartoon they were watching, but Danny had remained silent the entire time, barely acknowledging that the other two were in the room.

"Huh – what?" Danny, startled out of his reverie, held still for a moment to clear his head. Finally, he answered, "I'm fine, really. It's just that, Michelle's getting so old…"

Joey laughed. "Oh yeah, 'cause, once you hit seven it's all downhill."

Danny couldn't help but smile. "You know what I mean. I remember when I first told her about Santa Claus. Now it's time to, well, _un_tell her. I've gone through the end of D.J. and Stephanie's childhood, but still, every time it happens it takes my by surprise."

"Look, Danny, don't bother with thinking about something you can't change. Everybody has to grow up sometime." Jesse looked at Joey, thought for a second, then said, "Correction. _Mostly _everybody."

Michelle sat on the cold, shaky bus seat, trying to prevent herself from crying again. _No, not again. Not when everyone else can see me._ _And laugh at me some more._ Thankfully, Denise had stuck by her side throughout the school day and was now sitting next to her. She didn't know what she would do without her best friend. _Well, if it wasn't for her, I _definitely_ wouldn't have gone back into my classroom._ But she had – but only after Denise had begged her to.

The rest of the day had been one of the most awful days of her short life. When she had come back into the classroom, the kids hadn't laughed at her, but it was only because the teacher told them not to. She could tell – every time a kid would pretend to suck their thumb or mouth the word _baby_ Mrs. Applebaum would glare at him or her. But that's nothing compared to recess. For one, incredibly long hour she and Denise stood by themselves in one of the dark corners of the playground. No one wanted to play with a baby, after all. Especially when Butch would make fun of anyone who tried to be nice to the two.

When the bus pulled up to her house, Michelle smiled for what seemed like the first time that day. _Home. And Daddy._ Two of the things she loved most of the world were only a few feet away. In just a small number of minutes, she would be off this stupid bus and wouldn't have to see her classmates again for another…good amount of hours.

The doors opened, and Michelle slid out her seat and said good-bye to Denise. She hurried up the aisle of the bus, carefully avoiding any of the other children's stares and pretending not to hear their snickers. Clutching the straps of her backpack, Michelle ran down the walkway and turned the doorknob.

Danny looked up when he heard the front door swing open. There stood Michelle, with her backpack that had fallen down to her ankles and her t-shirt, which was wet from having been used as a tissue so many times. Her face was all blotchy, red, and, as much as he hated to admit it, tearstained. Someone had made his little baby girl cry. And if it wasn't for the fact that that "someone" was another seven-year-old, Danny would have found him and done something about it. "Aw, honey, come here." He held out his arms, and Michelle kicked her backpack aside and ran into them. "Mrs. Applebaum called. She said that you had a pretty rotten day."

Unable to say anything, Michelle nodded. She was so relieved to finally be in her father's arms, where she could cry all she wanted. _It's weird. I can finally cry…but I don't want to._ Before she broke down into sobs again, she had to straighten something out. She was about to say what was on her mind, but then she spotted Jesse and Joey, who had been silent ever since she came in. For some reason, she didn't want them to be here when she finally asked the question that she'd been dying to ask her dad all day. "Daddy…can we go in the kitchen?"

A little puzzled, Danny just shrugged and answered, "Alright. Whatever you say, sweetheart." With that, he followed Michelle across the living room.

As he watched Danny walk with Michelle, Jesse said, "You know, Joseph, I think I feel a song coming on…" He took a deep breath, then belted out in a low, soothing voice, "'Is this the little girl I carried?….'"

Joey smiled, then joined in. It's been such a long time since they had a group sing-a-long! "'Is this the little boy at play?'"

Together, the two men sang, in perfect harmony, "'I don't remember growing older, when did they?'" They continued to sing until Danny and Michelle had completely passed through the kitchen door.

_Ah, memories._ Danny laughed silently as he heard Joey and Jesse's singing. He distinctly remembered Stephanie's first day of kindergarten, on which the three of them had sung that song, _Sunrise, Sunset_, as D.J. and Stephanie were walking out the door. The amount of time that had passed since then never ceased to amaze him. "So, Michelle, what did you want to ask me?" Danny asked. He sat down on one of the chairs that were around the kitchen table so that he could be eye-to-eye with his daughter when they talked.

Michelle just stared at her father for a second, as if debating over the best way to say it. Finally, she blurted out, "Daddy, is Santa real?"

"Well, honey, Santa…" For some reason, Danny found himself unable to continue. He had known that this question was coming ever since Mrs. Applebaum called (or, to put it technically, ever since he told her about Santa – she was going to ask it eventually), but he was still dumbfounded. However, Michelle was looking at him, waiting for him to say something, anything, so it wasn't like he could take time to write a speech down on little index cards. Starting to feel pressured, he hastily thought back to the time his mother told him the truth about Santa.

Danny was eight-years-old that year. His best pal Joey Gladstone had gotten a giant, bright red toy fire engine for his birthday, and young Danny wanted one just like it. He used to pass a toy store on his way home from school, and, just a few weeks before Christmas, what looked like an exact replica of Joey's fire engine was shown in the store window. When Danny saw that display, he had run home and written a letter to Santa, detailing the exact make of the truck and what store it could be found in. He proceeded to do so every day, and when Christmas morning came, he had woken up early and ran downstairs, expecting to find a huge box under the tree. Danny's heart had been crushed when he realized that the huge box wasn't there. Later on, his mother had sat him down and told him the facts – but in a way that he hadn't been too upset.

_That's what I'm going to tell Michelle._ Danny began, "In a way, Santa is real. Just not the way that you know him."

Michelle was very confused. _How could there be two Santas?_ "What do you mean?" ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

"To you, Santa is the big jolly guy in the bright red suit that drives a sleigh pulled by eight flying reindeer. _That_ Santa was created by people who wanted to express the actual one – "

"So he isn't real." Michelle concluded. She was shocked – she had expected her father to tell her that Butch was just making up stories. She hadn't expected him to _agree_ with the meanest bully in school. "Then…the dad really does dress up like Santa every year…"

"Yes, well, in our case, 'dad' would be Joey…"

"And I guess…Aunt Becky puts our presents under the tree?"

"Yep."

"And you eat the cookies and milk I put out for 'Santa'?"

"No, that would be Joey again."

"And there really is no reason why the chimney has to be squeaky clean?"

"That's not true. There's still germs in there that need to get washed out.at least once a year."

"Oh." Michelle's voice was very small and barely above a whisper. She tried to think of anything else that needed to be cleared up, but her mind was drawing a blank.

Suddenly remembering what he had been saying before Michelle interrupted, Danny continued. "But, Michelle, there's another point to this. Santa does exist, but we just can't see him. He's what adults call that feeling you get inside when you want to donate to charity or give your time to those in need. He's what makes you want to help others, whether it's by helping them read a story or just pick up their toys. He's the spirit of Christmas, Michelle, and he is real – you just have to look a little harder to find him."

"Oh." Michelle repeated. She was still upset. In fact, she had stopped listening after the word "year." Not only was she upset, but she was angry. _How could Daddy lie to me all my life? He, and everybody else, tricked me, year, after year…_ Part of her still didn't believe, no, refused to believe that everything that pointed to Santa's existence was a fake. Maybe he was lying to her now, but he just didn't want her to believe in Santa for some strange reason. All she knew was that she needed some time to think. "Daddy, I need to go to my room."

Danny sighed. He couldn't tell exactly what his daughter was feeling, but whatever it was, it wasn't good. Her face was a mixture of hate, anger, sadness…everything except understanding. "Alright, honey. Come down later if you want to talk some more." He sighed again as Michelle ran up the stairs to her room and slammed the door.

A/N: Wow, that's a long chapter. Ah, well – 'till next time.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

D.J. swung open the back door and walked into the kitchen with a light bounce in her step. "Hi Dad! What's up?" She put down her car keys while she took off her coat and hung it on the nearby rack.

Stephanie's demeanor was drastically different from her upbeat sister's. Upon entering the kitchen, she leaned against the wall, for the moment unable to continue. Her other hand was lightly clutching her stomach, and her legs looked like they might give out any second. "Dad, maybe we should rethink this whole 'D.J. picking me up from school' thing," was all she could get out before collapsing on a chair next to her father.

"Why, what's the matter?" Danny asked. He hoped it wasn't too big of an issue. He really didn't think he could handle another family crisis.

"Oh, Steph's just overreacting because I was driving a little fast." D.J. said before her sister could answer. She then tried to get away by walking over to the stairs.

"Hold it right there." Danny said, then motioned to the chair on his other side. "Now sit." After she complied, he asked, "What's this about you driving too fast?"

"I said a _little_ fast. There's a big difference."

"Depends on what you would consider to be 'a little fast'." Stephanie commented. "I think you're going to fast when you can barely stop in time for a red light. And have to step on the brakes. Hard." This had occurred numerous times on their way home on the short drive from Stephanie's middle school. Stephanie felt like her belly had been jolted so much that it would take a _long_ time for it to settle down.

Danny looked at D.J. with obvious disappointment. "D.J., is this true?" He couldn't believe that his eldest, responsible daughter was driving recklessly. Then again, Kimmie Gibbler, D.J.'s best friend and ultimate pain in the neck, was an excellent driver. Go figure.

"Yeah, but I was only going maybe one or two miles over the limit." D.J. winced, knowing that by admitting to speeding, she was digging her own grave.

"You know how I feel about careless driving. What was so important that you couldn't obey the law?"

D.J. blushed a little. The truth was that there wasn't a big reason why she was speeding. At least, that was what it would seem like to her dad. However, she always felt that when one was in trouble, honesty was the best way to go. "Well, I was running late from school to begin with since I had to talk to my teacher, and I was then already late when I went to pick up Stephanie, but I really wanted to get home fast because I had to finish my homework before I went to the mall with Kimmie later, since it is a school night and you always say that I have to finish my homework before I go out on weeknights." D.J. always found that it was easier to be honest when you talked really fast and didn't drag it out longer than you had to.

"I understand you were trying to obey my homework policy, but safe driving is more important. Now, I am willing to let this go – "

"What? How is that fair?" Stephanie protested. There was no way she was going to let D. J. get away with turning her stomach inside-out over and over again.

"Let me finish." Danny held up his hand to quiet Stephanie. "I am willing to let this go, _if_ you have a talk with Michelle."

"Why? What happened?" D.J. was all too happy to accept the "punishment." In fact, she probably would have talked with her younger sister anyway if she knew something was bothering her.

Danny quickly explained the afternoon's events to D.J. and Stephanie, beginning with the call from Mrs. Applebaum, and ending with his chat with Michelle. "…and I'm really worried about her. She seemed upset, but all she said was that she needed to go up to her room."

"Oh, no problem, Dad. I'll be glad to talk to her." The second it was out of her mouth, D.J. realized her mistake. You were never supposed to be okay with a punishment, no matter how easy it was!

Danny noticed her slip too, but let it slide. It was the Christmas season, after all. But he couldn't let her totally off the hook – not when Stephanie would be angry if he did. "It's ok, D.J., I'll make this your first strike. Two more, and I'm taking away your license for a month, if the police don't take it first. And you are no longer allowed to drive Stephanie anywhere." Now that he thought about it, that last part would probably upset Stephanie more than D.J. _Then again, maybe not._ From the way Stephanie looked, he guessed that she wouldn't be too eager to get in a car with D.J. as the driver any time soon.

He guessed right. "Thanks, Dad!" Stephanie exclaimed. Then, feeling embarrassed at her outburst, she quickly said, "You know, Deej, I might just help you with that talk. Besides, I'll be in my room anyway – I think I need to lie down."

The two sisters climbed up the stairs and stood in front of the door to Michelle and Stephanie's room. Stephanie was about to open the door, but before she could, D.J. grabbed her hand. "I don't know if we should go in there, Steph. I mean, I know that when I'm upset about something I want to be left alone. Maybe we should knock…or something."

Stephanie moaned. Her stomach was clearly saying that if she didn't lie down soon, well, she'd need the bathroom more than her bedroom. "Look, you can knock if you want to, but this is _my_ room. I'm going in." Without another word, she pushed open the door and rushed to her bed, on which she flopped down on her backside. _Ow! Maybe I should have sat down a teensy bit more gently… _

Shrugging, D.J. looked into the room. Michelle was leaning against her pillows on her bed, with her arms around her legs, which were pulled up against her chest. She was staring straight ahead, and it seemed like she didn't even notice that her siblings had joined her. "Hi Michelle." D.J. greeted nervously as she went over and sat on the edge of her bed. "Dad told me what happened today. I'm so sorry."

"Oh." Michelle said flatly. She was a little annoyed that they had come in – they had lied to her too. On the other hand, now she could yell at them for lying to her. "I can't believe you! 'Oh, don't forget to leave out the cookies.' 'You better go to sleep, Michelle. Otherwise Santa won't come.' You knew Santa wasn't real the whole time, but you still lied to me every year! You make me sick." With that said and done, she turned around so that her back faced D.J.

D.J. bit her bottom lip when she realized how irritated her little sister was. She rarely saw Michelle so down, and was therefore surprised at that outburst. _Dad might have been right to give me this talk as my punishment._ Suddenly, D.J. remembered how hurt she was when she found out the truth. She was probably even more ticked off than Michelle, if that was possible. Still, D.J. really didn't know what to say to comfort her. In reality, what was she supposed to say? _Gee, Michelle, I'm really sorry that I kept lying to you every Christmas. Will you please forgive me?_

As she watched D.J. try to cheer up Michelle, Stephanie thought back to Christmas when she was only five-years-old. _Hmmm…perhaps that story can help Michelle…_ "Hey, Michelle…come over here. I have a story to tell you."

Michelle slowly picked her head up and looked at Stephanie. _This might be interesting._ She reluctantly pulled herself off the bed and walked across the room, where she sat at the foot of Stephanie's bed. "What's the story about?"

"It's about Christmas, when D.J. and I were little. D.J., you remember that Christmas that we were stuck in the airport terminal?"

D.J. laughed. "How can I forget? I was so disappointed that the airline lost our luggage. With my new CD player in it."

Michelle wrinkled her forehead in concentration. "I don't remember that. Was it before I was born?"

"Oh, no, you were born, alright, you were just too little for you to remember it now." Stephanie, cleared her throat, then continued, "We had been on our way to Colorado to visit relatives for Christmas. But a snowstorm came, and as a result we, along with all of the other passengers on the flight, were stranded in the airport for the night. Everything seemed to be going downhill. The presents had been lost, but at the time I had been told that Santa might not be able to find us by Christmas morning, and matters were only made worse when Joey dressed up like Santa Claus, and I found out it was only him and not the real one. However, later on, the _genuine_ Santa came, and found the presents for us. I even saw him flying away in his sleigh, eight reindeer and all. That's why, to this day, I still believe that Santa exists, even when Dad and D.J. told me otherwise."

After dinner, Michelle sat in her room alone. Stephanie's story had really gotten her thinking. _If what Stephanie says is true, then Santa really IS real. But wait – that would mean that Daddy is wrong, and he's never wrong. _Michelle sighed. This Santa stuff was confusing her. Her dad was telling her one thing, while her sister was telling her another. She didn't know who to believe. Then, she had an idea. _Maybe Daddy doesn't believe in Santa because he's never seen him._ Now she knew what to do. She had to find Santa Claus.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

That Saturday morning, Becky and Jesse were making breakfast, while D.J. and Joey were sitting at the island. D.J. was complaining about how she had practically none of her shopping done. "It's really not fair to expect me to buy gifts for everyone when senior year is so hectic. Between all of my honors classes and the school newspaper, I barely have time to get a good night's sleep."

"Just be glad you're getting any sleep at all." Becky winced as she got a flashback of her hectic senior year. _Then again…_ "Come freshman year of college, you'll be pulling all-nighters. Frequently."

Jesse stood still a minute, then smiled. _Perfect._ "You guys just gave me an idea. How about we just take the day off from whatever we have to do and spend it together."

Joey got excited. "Oh, that's great, Jess! There's this cartoon marathon on T.V. that I've been dying to watch…" When he noticed the others were giving him looks that clearly said, "Not on your life," he calmed down a bit. "…or, you know, if anyone else has any other ideas…"

"How about this." Becky said, "We can all go shopping at the mall. That way, Deej and you guys can get some of your Christmas shopping done. It's a few weeks before Christmas, so the mall shouldn't be too jammed yet. And besides, I've been meaning to take Nicky and Alex to see Santa." Moreover, Becky herself could use a couple of new additions to her wardrobe…

"That sounds like fun, Aunt Becky." Shopping always relaxed D.J., no matter how stressed she was. "I'll go tell Dad." D.J. got off her stool and went to search for her father.

"Becky, I don't know if it's such a good idea to visit Santa when we're with Michelle." Jesse commented. He and Danny had explained to Becky what had happened to Michelle a few days ago. "She might get upset."

Becky frowned. "Well then, we'll just make sure she's with someone else while you and I go with Nicky and Alex. No problem."

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

An hour later, Stephanie was humiliated to note that every member of the Tanner household stood in the foyer of the San Francisco mall. _I really hope none of my friends is here._ "Dad, can I go now? I told Gia to meet me here." As soon as her dad had told her that they were all going to the mall, Stephanie had hastily called her new friend Gia and begged her to come to the mall. That way, she wouldn't have to spend her Saturday in a crowded mall with "The Tanner Bunch."

Danny sighed. Ever since D.J. told him about the trip this morning, he had been looking forward to spending the day with the entire family. Still, he understood Stephanie's request. He didn't want to hang around his family in public when he had been her age. "Alright, Steph, but hold on while I check that everyone has everything. Let's see – water bottles, color-coded maps, snacks, money, toilet paper…"

D.J. interrupted. "Dad, the mall closes in a few hours. I think we have everything."

"Okay, but you all know to go to Customer Services in case you get separated from the group…" He stopped short and looked around. Everybody had gone in different directions, leaving him alone in front of the entrance. _Ah, well, so much for Tanner Family Fun Day. _

Jesse, Becky D.J. and Michelle, along with Nicky and Alex, were walking along the western section of the mall. They passed tons of store fronts, each advertising special sales for Christmas. The group had gone into several stores already, and as a result their arms were laden with shopping bags. "Mommy, I don't want to walk no more," Alex declared.

"Yeah, shopping boring. I wanna see Santa Claus." Nicky added. Then both of the boys started chanting, "Santa Claus" over and over, very loudly.

Seeing that the other shoppers were starting to stare, Jesse said, "You know, Beck, something tells me that we should take them to see Santa Claus."

"You're perceptiveness never ceases to amaze me, Jess." Becky said sarcastically. "Ok, boys, let's go see Santa!" Unfortunately, she forgot that Michelle was with them. "D.J., why don't you take Michelle to the toy store?" She didn't want to hurt Michelle's feelings by making her watch the boys sit on "Santa's" lap.

However, it never occurred to Michelle that department store Santas didn't exist. She had completely forgotten about them while asking her dad about Santa myths. Now that she resolved to believe in Santa, she still felt that mall Santas were the real thing. _Oh yeah - Santa is right here in the mall!_ Michelle thought excitedly. _All I have to do is make sure Daddy sees him!_ _But Daddy isn't here…wait, I can just ask Santa to come see Daddy with me!_ Now that she had a plan, she looked up at Becky with pleading eyes, "Aunt Becky, can I go with you?"

"Sure Michelle." Becky was confused. She thought for sure that Michelle wouldn't want to come. _But Michelle _is_ mature for her age. She might even be over the whole Santa thing already._

Nicky and Alex shouted happily. "Yea, Michelle's coming! Let's go!" The twins started running down the corridor, leaving their parents and cousins to catch up.

Soon the kids and panting adults reached the end of the hallway, where "Take A Picture With Santa" was set up. The mall had become increasingly crowded since the family had arrived, and the line to see Santa was a mile long. But Nicky, Alex, and Michelle persisted, and consequently they, as well as an impatient Jesse, Becky, and D.J. were standing behind at least twenty people with kids. Jesse wasn't in the mood to wait an hour to see some guy dressed in a Santa suit. He would have willingly donned the suit at home, but noooo, Becky _had_ to have an official mall picture. "Boys, do you really need to see Santa?" Jesse asked.

"Yes we do." Alex answered, and Nicky nodded in agreement.

The six waited for another half hour, and then it was finally time for Nicky and Alex to sit on Santa's lap. However, just as the two was about to walk up the red-carpeted stairs leading to the "throne" Santa sat on, they were stopped by two elfin helpers. "Sorry, kids," one of them said, without an ounce of sympathy in her voice, "Santa has to go on break now. He'll be back in thirty minutes."

"What?!" Jesse exclaimed. There was no way that he or his kids were going to have to wait another half hour. "Come on, can't Santa just take one more picture? Where's your Christmas spirit?"

The elf just glared at him, her hands on her hips, "It left, along with my dignity, as soon as I put on this stupid outfit." That said, the green-clad worker walked away, the bells on her elf slippers ringing loudly.

While Becky, Jesse, and D.J. argued with the other elf, Michelle watched Santa, who was slowly getting off the throne. She, unnoticed by the adults, followed him past the snow-covered scenery. Making sure not to lose him among the multitude of shoppers, she pursued him for what seemed like forever until he reached a door marked "Employees Only." Santa took a key out of his furry red coat, unlocked the door, and went inside.

Michelle eagerly went after him. The door had fortunately been left open, and she peered in. She was extremely disappointed by what she saw. There were at least half a dozen Santas drifting about, some of them only having Santa pants and a t-shirt, and none of them wearing a beard or a hat. The Santa she followed hat sat down on a bench, and was now taking off his beard, which Michelle had originally thought was real. _So Daddy _was_ right. There is no Santa Claus._ Feeling tears well up in her eyes, she ran away into the mall, unsure of where she was going.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Meanwhile, Becky, Jesse, D.J., Nicky and Alex were still on line waiting to see Santa. The boys were getting tired, and every so often demanded that Santa Claus come back, to no avail. D.J. stifled a yawn and crossed her arms. "Uncle Jesse, how's Michelle doing over there? I haven't heard a peep out of her for at least fifteen minutes." This extensive silence was very unlike her littlest sister.

Jesse's face immediately became panic-stricken. "What do you mean??? I thought she was with you!"

Immediately more alert, D.J. looked around. "No, she's not here!"

"She's not with me!" Becky said nervously. "I thought you were watching her, Jess!"

"And I thought she was with one of you!" Realizing that his niece was not there, Jesse immediately took control. "Alright, forget this Santa guy. We've got to get Danny, Stephanie, and Joey and form a search party. Did any of them mention where they went?"

Becky shook her head. "No, but it might be easier to find them if we go to Mall Security and page them. Then we can get security guards to help us look for her."

"Aunt Becky's right. Let's get off this line." D.J. said. The group filed out of the line just as Santa was coming back from his coffee break.

In record speed the worried group reached the Mall Security kiosk, where they hastily told the guard on duty that Michelle was lost and that they needed to page her other family members. A few minutes after the announcement was made, Danny, Stephanie, and Joey came running towards the booth. "What's the emergency?" Stephanie asked, her face flushed and out of breath. The announcer had sounded important, so she had unwillingly ditched Gia and dashed to the kiosk.

Jesse quickly explained what happened, "We were waiting on line to see Santa, and Michelle must have wandered away from us."

"You mean she's LOST?" Danny shouted. He was in basically the same state as Stephanie, but even more so since he had run halfway across the mall. "Jess, how could you?"

"Look, it's not my fault! I thought she was with Becky, and she thought she was with me…" Getting a sense of deja vu, Jesse shook his head and said, "Never mind, we don't have time."

"Yeah, she could be anywhere by now." Joey put in, "Poor kid, all alone, probably crying her eyes out…"

"Joseph, you're not helping." Jesse said, "Alright, Joey, Danny, Stephanie, and D.J., go check any of the places Michelle would typically go. You know, toy store, candy shop, etc. Becky and I will take Nicky and Alex and go everywhere else."

"Excuse me." A guard said as he approached the family, "I just got notice that a little girl is missing?"

"Yes," Danny responded, "She's seven-years-old, about this high," he put his hand up to about Michelle's height, "she has blonde hair, blue eyes, and answers to the name Michelle Tanner." After the guard assured them that he would put out an APB, Danny turned to the others and said, "Alright, let's go."

Michelle blindly ran into the throngs of customers, but she barely noticed them. Eventually she got tired and sat on one of the mall benches. Still crying, she looked around. _Where am I? And where is D.J., or Aunt Becky, or…anybody?_ She searched for her family, but she couldn't see anyone she knew. This made her feel very scared. She had never been alone in a public place before. _Come on, Michelle, get yourself together. You have to find them._ Wiping away her last tear, she stood up, and first looked one way, and then the other. _Which way should I go? _

Figuring that the best thing to do would be to try to find Aunt Becky and Uncle Jesse, since she was with them last. She tried to remember the way she came form, but couldn't. So she just started walking forward. _If I keep walking I'll find them eventually._

She looked into the store windows as she passed them. Some of them were really boring, like the ones that showed clothes. She saw one that had cleaning supplies in it, and laughed. _Daddy would like that store._ She wished she had money to buy him a present, but since she didn't, she kept going.

After walking for a while, she came across a candy store. _Yum_, she thought hungrily. It had been a while since breakfast, and those chocolate bars looked really tasty…_Maybe it wouldn't hurt if I just went in to look around…_

But once inside the store, it became clear that it did hurt. She found it very hard to resist taking a container of homemade ice cream out of the fridge, or eating one of the Hershey's Kisses that were displayed in a dish on one of the shelves. But taking without asking was wrong (as D.J. had told her countless times after she had raided her closet), so she didn't. Luckily, one of the store clerks offered her some free samples of chocolate fudge, so she gladly took five. She said "thank you," around a mouthful of one sample, then left the store. She couldn't bear to look at all the delicious sweets any more.

Long since the last chocolate sample was eaten, she walked by a toy store, at first without even bothering to stop. Then, she backtracked and halted in front of the window. _Wow._ Michelle's always wanted a teddy bear like that one. She was always envious of Stephanie's bear, which she had creatively named "Mr. Bear". Unfortunately, even now that Stephanie's older and claims she doesn't like to play with baby things, she still doesn't let Michelle touch the stuffed animal.

But this teddy bear was better than Mr. Bear, although Stephanie would strongly disagree. It wasn't too big, but wasn't too small. It had silky, yet soft fur, and even had a red bow around its neck. Michelle knew that it would be perfect for cuddling with and telling her secrets to. But she wouldn't be getting it this year. Santa wasn't there to bring it too her. With a deep sigh, Michelle continued walking down the hallway.

Danny and Stephanie hastily searched one part of the mall. They had just approached the candy store, "Dad, she's not here." Stephanie noted.

She was about to move on when Danny caught her elbow, "Hold it. We should go inside and ask if anyone's seen Michelle." They went in, and after a few minutes, a clerk revealed that yes, she was here, and had helped herself to multiple free samples.

"That's sounds like Michelle alright. Do you know which way she went?" Danny asked. When the employee pointed to her right, Danny nodded, "Ok, thank you!"

He and Stephanie rushed down the store and glanced in the direction that the clerk pointed. Sure enough, at least a hundred feet in front of them, a little blonde head was found amongst the crowd. "Dad, there she is!" Stephanie exclaimed as she began to run. She and her dad started screaming "Michelle" at the top of their lungs, but their voices were lost in the rumble of the crowd. Soon, Michelle got to be too far ahead of them, and they completely lost sight of her when they stopped to catch their breath.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Michelle paused for a minute. She thought she had heard someone call her name. She turned around, but didn't see anyone. _Oh well._ She shrugged it off and kept going.

Some time ago she had changed direction, and now she found herself once again at the "Take a Picture with Santa" display. Michelle sat down on a nearby bench, and watched as people waited on line while Santa took yet another coffee break. She quietly laughed at them. Those kids had no idea they were waiting so long to sit on some guy in a Santa suit's lap. "They're being tricked, just like I was."

"Well maybe 'tricked' isn't the right word." Startled, Michelle turned to her left. There was Santa, or at least someone who looked a lot liked him. He was wearing a traditional Santa suit, and had a big, round belly. Michelle briefly wondered why he wasn't back on his throne instead of wasting his break sitting next to her. _It's probably some guy with a fake beard._

"Oh, no, it's real. Pull it - it won't come off." "Santa" said, as if reading her mind.

Michelle did. No matter how hard she tugged, the beard stayed firmly in place. "Wow, you are the real Santa! You even knew what I was thinking!"

Santa let out a deep chuckle. "Of course. I know everything about everyone, Michelle."

_He even knows my name!_ Michelle thought excitedly. "But what did you mean by 'tricked' not being the right word?"

"Well, 'tricked' is often used when someone is fooling another person in a hurtful way," Santa said as he stroked his long, white beard. "But, when parents tell their kids about me, they're not doing it to be unkind."

"They're not?"

"Of course not. Why would they want to? Could you imagine your daddy doing anything to purposely hurt you?"

Michelle thought about that. "No, I guess not. He's always trying to make me happy."

"And he did, didn't he?" Santa said, "I mean, weren't you happy all those Christmases where you eagerly awaited my visit?"

"I guess I was…" Michelle said. Then she thought about all those good times she had with her family while they made cookies for Santa or opened presents that were under the tree on Christmas morning. "I _know _I was."

"And yet you wonder why parents let their kids believe in me?"

"Not anymore." Michelle laughed. Now she got it. Parents told their kids about Santa to make Christmas special for them. Believing in Santa created happy memories, memories that wouldn't be forgotten when kids grew older. But one thing was still bothering her. "Santa, why do parents tell their children that you don't exist?"

Santa frowned. "Because in order to believe in me, you have to believe in magic. When most people get older, they try to explain everything, and when they do, the magic dies. They let their kids believe, because they're still young enough to. But then after a while, kids start asking questions, and parents tell them to, well, grow up."

"That's sad. I wish that everyone could believe in Santa." Suddenly, she got an idea. "Santa, would it be ok for my family to meet you? I mean, Stephanie met you once, and she still believes."

"Stephanie Tanner?" Santa paused, as if in deep thought, "Oh, yes, I remember. It was that time your family got stuck in an airport and I came by to make them feel better."

Michelle nodded. "Right. She also said that part of the reason she still has faith is because she saw you fly away in your sleigh. If Daddy, Uncle Jesse, and everybody saw it too…"

"Ho ho ho!" Santa laughed, "Michelle, that's a wonderful idea. In fact, I have my sleigh on one of the mall's garages. Care to come with me?"

She impatiently agreed. Then, Santa got off the bench and started walking towards his sleigh, with Michelle never far behind.

The continued walking for another ten minutes until they reached the elevator. Then, Santa pressed the down button, and they waited. It's safe to say that they got more than a few strange looks from those waiting with them. After all, it's not often that you see Santa taking the elevator.

They went down to the parking level and walked to the wall on the far left. He took a key ring out of his pocket, and went through them. "Ah, let's see…workshop, reindeer barn, the house…oh, here it is." He put the key in the lock, and pushed open the door. Michelle looked inside and gasped.

A huge, red sleigh stood in a cavernous garage. It looked as if it could be on the cover of a Christmas card, with a deep red body and brass trimming. Once Michelle went in further, she could see two rows of four reindeer, all with brown coats and full antlers. Each one had their names on their leather harness, and she looked at them one at a time. "Dasher…Dancer…Prancer…Vixen…Comet…hey, that's my dog's name!" Michelle giggled, then turned around. However, Santa was no where in sight. "Santa?" She called out, getting worried, "Are you there?"

"Michelle? Is that you?" A voice came from the entrance, but it wasn't Santa's.

She instantly recognized whose voice it was. "Daddy!" Michelle screamed, then she raced to the door and gave him a big hug. "Daddy, look – Santa is real! That's his sleigh!"

Danny wasn't alone. Everyone else came into the room, each with a look of awe on their faces, but still delighted to see Michelle. They each gave her a big hug before going over to examine the reindeer. "Michelle, these reindeer are amazing!" D.J. exclaimed as one nuzzled her neck.

Stephanie laughed when Prancer stuck his nose in her pocket. "Yeah, I've always wondered what Santa's reindeer looked like."

"Good to see you, Munchkin." Jesse said affectionately as he scooped her up into his arms. Then he turned towards the girls, "Now, Steph, don't get too excited. They're probably just something one of the stores is using to promote sales."

"But Uncle Jesse, they are Santa's reindeer!" Michelle persisted. "He even told me so himself!"

Danny laughed. He was so relieved to see his daughter, he didn't care what she said. "Sure he did, honey." Not wanting to be apart from her too long, he took Michelle out of Jesse's arms and held her in his own.

"You bet I did." Santa said as he came out of a door, which was on the other side of the room. "They're the best flying reindeer in the business."

Jesse and Danny looked at the newcomer with apprehension. For all they knew, he could be a kidnapper in a Santa suit. "And who would you be?" Danny asked.

Santa just gave him a incredulous stare. He then gestured to his clothing. "I think that's fairly obvious."

"Ho ho ho, very funny." Jesse said flatly. "Now really, who are you and why were you with Michelle?"

"Well, she seemed so down when she was sitting on a bench, I couldn't just help but cheer her up." Santa went over to the sleigh and attempted to sit in the driver's seat, but Nicky and Alex had beat him to it. "Whoa, sorry, Nicky and Alex, but Santa needs to sit there."

As she took the boys out of the sleigh, Becky looked at him with skepticism. "How do you know their names?"

"Because he Santa, Aunt Becky." Michelle stated firmly, "He knows everything about everyone!"

Santa chuckled, "That's right, Michelle. Now, if you'll excuse me, folks, but I need to take a ride home and check up on things. It is only few weeks 'till Christmas, after all."

_What a fruitcake._ Jesse thought sourly. He was surprised when Joey, who was standing next to him, called out, "Ok, bye Santa!"

"Joseph, are you serious? That guy is _not_ Santa….he's…he's…a nut in a red suit!"

"Jess, will you pipe down for a second and turn around?" Joey insisted.

Jesse did, and, to his amazement, the garage door was opening. Stephanie and D.J. ran to the back of the room so as not to get trampled. The group, all except for Michelle and Stephanie (who weren't surprised in the least), stared in wonder as the sleigh and reindeer rose several feet above the ground.

Smiling, Santa turned around to face the Tanners, "Have a merry Christmas, and I'll make sure to stop by on Christmas Eve!" He gave a cheery wave.

Michelle waved back, "You got it, dude!"

"Ho ho ho!" Santa gave a deep, belly laugh, and called out, "On Dasher, on Dasher, on Prancer and Vixen, on Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen!" The reindeer backed up, then flew away, and they kept flying until the sleigh was nothing more than a speck on the clear afternoon sky.


	7. Epilogue

Epilogue

"Merry Christmas everybody!" Michelle yelled, a little too noisily. It was 6:00a.m. on Christmas morning, and she was eager to get downstairs and see what Santa brought her. Unfortunately, the rest of her family was not so eager.

"Michelle, do you have to scream so loud first thing in the morning?" Stephanie complained as she pulled back her covers. That was one thing she hated about sharing a room with Michelle – the girl was the equivalent of a human alarm clock.

"Yes." Michelle giggled, then jumped out of bed. She then ran into the hallway with her feet bare and shouted, "Wake up everyone! It's Christmas!!!" She proceeded to run down the stairs and into the living room, but stopped short when she saw what was under the tree.

The residents of the Tanner household trickled down the stairs one by one, each rubbing their eyes or whining about how the sun wasn't even up yet. They gathered about the living room, some seated on the couch while the others sat on the floor. No one seemed to notice that the reason why they were up so early was not seated among them, that is until D.J. happened to turn her head. "Michelle, what's the matter?"

Coming out of her trance, Michelle rushed past the others to the Christmas tree, where she immediately picked up the one present that she knew was for her. She hugged her new teddy bear before saying, "I can't believe it! Santa knew! This is the exact same teddy bear that I wanted!"

Danny looked at the others quizzically. "Did you…?" He smiled when everyone shook their heads "no." "I guess Santa _does_ know everything about everyone."

"Hey, guys, look at this!" Joey called from the coffee table. "The cookies are gone, but I didn't get a chance to eat them! Oh, wait, there's a note, "Dear Joey, I would greatly appreciate it if you would stop eating the cookies that were meant for me. The ones I was able to try before you moved in were quite delicious, and I would like to have them again. Love, Santa" The others, and Joey, laughed, "I guess I'll have to find my own midnight snack from now on."

Becky quickly stifled her giggles and said, "You know, I was wondering something. How did you guys know where to find Michelle when she was lost in the mall?" She had only known where to go because she had happened to catch of glimpse of Danny, Joey, Stephanie and D.J. running like mad in a particular direction.

"It was the weirdest thing," Danny mused as he watched the girls tear open their presents. "There was this announcement, you guys probably didn't hear it. It said, 'All of those shoppers who are looking for Michelle Tanner please report to the garage on the west side.' Now that I think about it, the voice sounded a lot like Santa's."

"Then I guess we should thank Santa for more than just our presents." Jesse smiled as he grabbed a brightly wrapped box from under the tree, "Speaking of which, Steph, this one's for you. From Santa."

As it turned out, the Tanner family did have a merry Christmas, possibly the best one in years. This was because something had been restored in their hearts, something that had changed them all for the better. And that something was Christmas magic.

A/N: I know, a little corny. But I had a little trouble thinking of the last few lines, and that's what I could come up with. So, anyway, thanks for the reviews, and Happy Holidays!


End file.
